


Memorialis

by Lalaen



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon Compliant, Father-Son Relationship, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 07:55:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11847258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lalaen/pseuds/Lalaen
Summary: Gladio was never supposed to mourn his father. It's something he's accepted since childhood.Ignis wants to acknowledge Clarus' death because he knows no one else will.





	Memorialis

"I'm sorry about your father."

Gladio was almost startled to hear him speak, and turned to see Ignis giving him a sincere look, arms crossed over his slender chest. He was visibly uncomfortable, at least to Gladio, who knew what that little twist of his lips meant. 

"Huh?" He knew what Ignis was saying, of course; and he'd known the second he'd seen that article about Insomnia falling that dad was dead. He'd just thought Ignis would be the last person to bring that up. 

"Your father. He was a good man," the advisor took a step closer, and to most he would look completely normal, emotionless. Gladio could see the awkwardness in every line of him, the concern hidden deep in his eyes. 

Holy shit. The man who had aggressively held him at an emotional distance for _years_ was actually trying to have a serious heart-to-heart with him. It was almost unbelievable, but one look was enough to know this wasn't what Ignis wanted to do. It was obvious when he wanted to do something. This was something his analytical mind was telling him he should do. 

Gladio gave a heavy sigh. "He's been telling me long as I can remember that one day he'd die for the king. Trust me, I accepted it a long time ago, same as I accepted that every day I'd have to be ready to die for Noct."

"Oh," it was hard to genuinely confuse Ignis, but that did it. Of course it did. He'd always resisted or outright rejected strong emotion, and here he was trying to get in the middle of it only to be told he didn't need to. 

"It's ok, Iggy," Gladio put a hand on his upper arm; they were standing close and he made a habit of touching him when he could. "Iris made it out and that's all I can ask." Dad had probably asked Cor to ensure her safety, and Cor couldn't really refuse him anything. "Do me a favour and don't say anything about Dad to her."

"Certainly," there was still concern in Ignis' eyes, and Gladio could literally see him processing; trying to figure out what he should say. "Apologies."

He didn't need to apologize. In fact it meant a hell of a lot that he was openly caring about Gladio's feelings. It meant he could finally admit to himself how much there was between them, something he'd been fighting since they first started screwing each other when he was seventeen. Gladio knew that Ignis loved him, but he also knew it wasn't something they could talk about. It definitely wasn't something he thought he could call attention to now. Even after all this time he couldn't be sure if a heartfelt thanks for giving a shit would cause the other man to backpedal. 

"Nah. Don't worry about it. Just take care of Noct. He's always been pretty messed up about his old man." 

"Indeed..." Ignis pushed up his glasses, and there was no doubting how tense he was. He was already fretting enough about the Prince. He went to see about what Noctis and Prompto wanted for dinner, getting himself out of a situation he didn't know how to control and into one he did. 

It left Gladio thinking about his dad - not something he'd done all that often. They'd never been particularly close by the very nature of the Amicitia profession, leaving Gladio to fend for both Iris and himself. Dad hadn't wanted them close for this exact reason. 

At eighteen he'd come home from a shift with the kingsguard to find his father actually there. Iris was in bed and he never expected to see his dad at home, no matter how late it was. He'd been fucking Ignis for a little over a week, and it was nonstop, every chance they could get. Maybe it'd been stupid to assume the advisor would be shy about sex, but there was no way to expect him being this damn horny all the time. 

Not that Gladio was complaining. 

It was the first night since they'd started sleeping together that he hadn't stopped at Ignis' quarters before going home. His shift was too late this time, and he'd had to make up for that by getting it in between meetings when he normally would have been at the gym. He told himself it was still a workout. With Ignis it was always a hell of a workout. 

"Gladiolus," Clarus didn't sound pissed, but using his full name outside of the professional setting of the palace made Gladio wary. Usually he should reply with a 'yes Sir' if his father was addressing him formally like that, but he wasn't too happy about this shit being pulled in his own house at two in the morning, so he didn't. 

"What?" Gladio grunted, making no effort not to sound confrontational. 

"Regis told me what's going on between you and Ignis."

Something about the way he said it was infuriating, and Gladio had to grit his teeth so he didn't snap back immediately. "... he knows?" The thought made his stomach drop. It wasn't that he was afraid of the king finding out, but it had the potential to be bad. 

"Half the palace knows," Clarus' voice was all at once the reprimanding drill sergeant, and as much as anger rose in his chest Gladio was well conditioned with how to respond to that and he found himself at attention and staring determinedly past his father. "You aren't being very subtle."

Gladio was willing to admit they'd done some stupid stuff, but he wasn't concerned about that. "You knew I was into dudes too," he said darkly. 

That took it from drill sergeant to a full blown soldier's shout. Not exactly angry, but fucking firm and loud and it made him feel shame all the way to his toes from pure reflex. "I couldn't care less about his gender, Gladiolus. I didn't raise you to be such an idiot."

"... yes, Sir." 

"You do know who he is?"

"Yes, Sir."

"You know that he may as well be Regis' second son - don't look at me like that. I know you know these things, but I need to hear you say it."

Gladio clenched his jaw, staring at the kitchen cabinet. "Yes, Sir."

"You know he is also your professional colleague?"

"Yes, Sir." 

"You know that he has a reputation for being ruthless with those who cross him?"

"I'm not go-" Gladio growled, but his father cut him off. 

"That isn't the answer I'm looking for. Do you know?"

"Yes, Sir." His aggression was becoming harder to hide as he cared less and less. 

Even though he wasn't making eye contact, he could feel his father's hard stare. When he spoke again his voice was quieter but no less serious. "So you do understand. How is it you're stupid enough to take this risk to get yourself laid?" Gladio opened his mouth to respond, hardly holding back his anger now, but his father didn't give him time. "I'm very aware of how often you go out with the guardsmen and how little trouble you have bringing someone home," Gladio's hands were tight fists at his sides and he bit the inside of his cheek, knowing there was no right answer. "If you really believe he's a good choice for a quick fuck, then I-"

"It isn't about that!" Gladio roared, seeing red. He slammed his hand on the table. His father didn't so much as flinch. 

"Good. That's what I wanted to hear." Stepping closer, Clarus put a hand on his shoulder. The fuse of his anger had been cut, but he was left gaping. 

"Huh?"

His father smiled and gave his shoulder a tight squeeze. "Gladio... I already see that he makes you happy. I'm happy for you."

Gladio could feel himself flushing. He pulled off his cap, pushed his stubbornly too-short bangs back into it even though they hadn't started falling out yet, and put the cap back on his head. He was confused, and as embarrassed as he was by his outburst he was more embarrassed by getting what was turning out to be dad's blessing on his... not-relationship. "What the hell was all that for?" He muttered. 

"Needed to make sure you didn't do anything too stupid," Clarus went over to the fridge and grabbed two cans of beer without asking. "He isn't someone to be trifled with, especially when it took you so long to make nice with the Prince." He cracked one of the beers and held it out. Gladio accepted wordlessly, not knowing what the hell to say. "Don't worry about Regis. He thinks it's a smart match."

Gladio coughed, feeling his cheeks redden again, and took a very generous sip of beer. He was never going to be able to tell Ignis that his dad and the fucking King thought they were actually dating. That'd be enough to scare him off for good. 

"He's the only one who'll ever understand your devotion to Noctis," Clarus opened his own beer and took a long drink. "That's important - as we learned from your mother."

In retrospect, the two of them standing in the kitchen and silently finishing their beer was one of the times he'd felt closest with his father. Gladio found himself thinking about it as they tucked into bed at the rest stop that night. It was giving him a splitting headache. His body felt heavy as he laid on his back with an arm under his head. Prompto was radiating nervous energy in the other bed, no doubt wanting to cheer up Noctis but knowing he shouldn't say anything. The Prince himself was a lump under the blankets, and after Ignis turned off the lights he paused by Noct's side. Gladio watched out of the corner of his eye as the advisor ran his fingers through thick black hair a single time before sitting on their bed. 

There was a little light coming in through the window, and Gladio absently watched Ignis' slender silhouette as he got under the covers. Gladio let his eyes slide closed, not really feeling like he could sleep but drained enough that staring into the dark seemed very hard. He could pick out each of their breathing in the silent room - Noct wasn't asleep, even though he wanted them to think he was. 

When a hand laid on his chest, Gladio was so surprised that his eyes popped open. By this point in their relationship, Ignis would usually let himself be cuddled unless he was really in a mood; but that was just an arm draped over his waist. As Gladio rolled to face him, Ignis tucked himself neatly under the larger man's chin. It was unheard of for Ignis to even actively participate in cuddling, never mind initiating it. 

He knew what was happening, of course, but he genuinely appreciated it. It was really fucking nice to feel his partner relaxed in his arms, pressed up against his chest. Maybe it was because he was already feeling some weird nostalgia, but Gladio found himself thinking about the first time he'd been allowed to hold Ignis. It'd taken a while. There was no question of cuddling after sex, if he'd even made a move in that direction there was no doubt in his mind that Ignis wouldn't talk to him for a week. 

It wasn't until the advisor caught the flu and predictably insisted on still working himself to death. Gladio saw it coming; Ignis was pale and shaky and disappearing to the bathroom every chance he got but still insisting on running around doing his errands and meetings. When there was no sign of him the next day, Gladio went to his quarters to find him too sick to stand up and with a fever so high that he had periods where he stopped making sense. He got completely irrational when Gladio tried to make him go to a doctor, swearing no one could see him like this. Gladio could be more than a match for him in stubbornness if he put his mind to it, so there was no way he'd be left completely alone - or that he could get away from the protective arms around him while he was confused.

This was very different. Gladio vividly remembered the frame of those plastic glasses Ignis used to wear biting into his shoulder as the smaller man leaned there fighting nausea. At the time Ignis was covered in a sheen of cold sweat and occasionally trembling, now he was calm and responsive; but Gladio's protective instinct was no less satisfied. With Ignis' breath on his neck, it suddenly felt a lot more like he could sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> idk someone needed to address this and square enix sure didnt


End file.
